Fine Gael and Labour

I read two posts (Jason and Tadhg) over the weekend about the Labour Party conference in Galway. It made me realise one thing. Fine Gael cannot work with Labour to better this country!

In the next election, the main battle will be between Labour and Fine Gael. They will be fighting to pick up seats from Fianna Fail, who will be desperately trying to hold on to them. This is especially true in Dublin where Fianna Fail is polling in third place and is facing a Fine Gael style 2002 wipeout in the capital.

Fine Gael’s line in the next election will have to be that a vote for Labour will be a vote for Fianna Fail. There is no doubt about that. Labour and Fianna Fail sit better together than Fine Gael and Labour, as thankfully Fine Gael as taken a turn to the right after the 2007 General Election.

It also true of the policies being taken by the Labour party, they are more similar to Fianna Fail. Take their training commitment from the weekend (taken from Tadhg’s Post)

Labour also will help 30,000 new apprentices get qualified. Re-read that sentence everyone. Apprentices, means plumbers, block-layers, electricians etc. Thousands of whom are qualified and on the DOLE! Why should the state finance the training of another 30,000?

Tadhg points out good reservations about this!

While Gilmore still thinks he can be Taoiseach, I don’t think so. As Jason points out, Labour will have to become a “broad church” for that to happen.

I do not think Fine Gael should enter a pre-election pact with Labour next time out. We should be aiming for Majority government, and failing that, we should do a deal with minor parties and independents to govern.

Its a pity the PD’s are gone, they would have worked well with Fine Gael!